Rice pilaf is a wonderful and flexible side dish. You can make it plain, with chicken or vegetable stock; you can add herbs and spices; you can include vegetables like peas carrots, onions, and celery; or you can make it sweet with nuts (cashews are great!) and dried fruits like raisins and apricots.
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What is Pilaf?
Pilaf, or pilau, is a rice dish that is cooked in stock instead of water. The stock adds flavor to the rice, and enhances the other ingredients. Pilaf dishes are common in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Indian sub-continent. Pilafs are an easy to make and flavorful side dish that go well with any protein.
Ingredients You'll Need
- chicken stock
- saffron
- butter
- onion
- garlic
- basmati rice (or any long grain rice)
- ground coriander
- ground turmeric
- Aleppo pepper (or other red pepper flakes)
- frozen peas
- golden raisins
- fresh mint
- chopped pistachios
How to Make Middle Eastern Rice Pilaf (Pilau)
Here are the ingredients: rice, peas, pistachios, raisins, onion, mint, saffron, spices (coriander, Aleppo pepper, and turmeric), and butter.
Bring the stock almost to boiling in a small saucepan. Drop in the saffron threads, stir a couple of times, and remove from the heat.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and saute until it softens, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
Add the rice to the saucepan and stir until the rice is glossy, about 2 minutes.
Add the coriander, turmeric, and Aleppo pepper to the saucepan. Stir until the rice is coated with the seasonings, about 2 minutes.
Add the stock to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and cool for 10 minutes.
The rice should have absorbed most of the liquid by now. Add the peas and raisins and stir to mix them in. Cover the pan and cook for about 5 minutes until all the stock has been absorbed.
Remove the pan from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 15 minutes.
Fluff the rice with a fork, add the chopped mint, and stir to combine.
Serve garnished with the chopped pistachios. You can also pass some sumac to sprinkle on top, and additional pistachios if people would like more.
We've served our pilaf here with Spiced Lamb Tibs and Yogurt Sauce.
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📖 Recipe Card
Middle Eastern-Spiced Rice Pilaf
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups chicken stock
- 1 pinch saffron about 20 threads
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ cups basmati rice or other long grain rice
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ½ cup golden raisins
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint finely chopped
- 1 cup pistachios chopped
Instructions
- Heat the chicken stock to just below boiling in a small saucepan and add the saffron. Remove from the heat and set aside.2 ¾ cups chicken stock, 1 pinch saffron
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for about 3 minutes until they start to soften. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.3 tablespoons butter, ½ cup onion, 2 cloves garlic
- Add the rice to the saucepan and stir for about 2 minutes until the rice is glossy.1 ½ cups basmati rice
- Add the salt, coriander, turmeric, and Aleppo pepper to the saucepan. Stir for about 2 minutes until the rice is coated with the seasonings.½ teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon ground turmeric, ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper
- Add the stock to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and cool for 10 minutes.
- Add the peas and raisins and stir to mix them in. Cover the pan and cook for about 5 minutes until all the stock has been absorbed.1 cup frozen peas, ½ cup golden raisins
- Remove the pan from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 15 minutes.
- Fluff the rice with a fork, add the chopped mint, and stir to combine.1 tablespoon fresh mint
- Serve garnished with the chopped pistachios.1 cup pistachios
Nutrition Estimate
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